The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : No truck with AIADMK, DMK, says Venkaiah Naidu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 08, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

No truck with AIADMK, DMK, says Venkaiah Naidu

Special Correspondent

"BJP is getting feelers from community groups"

CHENNAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has reiterated that it will face the Assembly elections without the support of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Briefing mediapersons here on Tuesday after a two-day meeting of district presidents and other office-bearers, senior leader M. Venkaiah Naidu, who is overseeing the party's electoral strategy for the south, said, "Our aim is to contest independently and get a good presence in legislature." Asked whether any discussion had taken place with Desiya Morpokku Dravida Kazhagam founder Vijayakanth, Mr Naidu replied in the negative. (In the past, several BJP leaders expressed their inclination to a tie-up with Mr Vijayakanth).

However, the BJP leader said there were feelers from many community groups for seat adjustments.

The Janata Party was willing to contest along with the BJP.

Explaining the contour of the electoral campaign, Mr Naidu said the party would seek to free the people from "mad competition" of the DMK and the AIADMK to cater to the vote bank of the minorities. It would focus on "larger Hindu interests."

The "negative, venomous and anti-people" approach of the two parties would be exposed in the campaign. While putting forth its agenda before the people, the party would seek the mandate of the people, adopting a "constructive and positive" approach.

One feedback received from district functionaries was that there was no wave in favour of either of the two formations. "There is going to be a serious contest and it may end in nobody getting a simple majority. Tamil Nadu politics is going to be different this time," Mr Naidu told reporters.

Both fronts led by the DMK and the AIADMK were suffering from the "anti-incumbency" factor. The decision of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to leave the DMK front and join the AIADMK-led front had not gone down well with the public, he said.

All senior BJP leaders, except national vice-president L.Ganesan and the party national executive member and former Union Minister S. Thirunavukkarasar would contest. Mr Ganesan is in-charge of Kerala (which is also going to polls) and Mr Thirunavukkarasar a Member of Parliament.

Nominations

Nominations would be invited from party members from March 10 to 15. The State election committee would meet on March 15 and decide the final strategy. Several committees had been formed. Conventions for constituency-level workers would take place from March 20 to April 6, the party foundation day. Some national leaders would address them.

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